


Missed the Mark

by anxietywrites



Series: the endgame fix it fics my brain needs [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Grief, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Slow Burn, weird timelines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-01-05 11:10:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21207581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxietywrites/pseuds/anxietywrites
Summary: Two years after Steve takes the stones back, he has yet to return. Bucky is left with a gaping hole in his heart and a whole lot of internalized guilt. It might be time to let that all go, and let Steve go with it.Or is it?





	1. Bucky

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this as a one shot, but then I thought of adding more to it. So I deleted the old copy and posted this one... if you read the old one, you'll notice only one thing that's different, but it's a big one!
> 
> Enjoy :)

In the following days, weeks, months, and now years after Steve failed to return from his quest to return the stones, Bucky tried to stay positive. But it became more difficult to do that with every day that he didn’t return, every day that there wasn’t a figure standing on the platform outside Tony and Pepper’s lake house. Not that Bucky or anyone was still there, by any stretch. 

He had long since returned to New York with Sam and the others. He didn’t feel right being at Tony’s funeral to begin with, much less staying at the lake house for too long. With nobody to take over Cap—Steve’s—mantle as Captain America, there was the question of what to do next. How would the Avengers push through not one, not two, but three losses of some of the most important people of their team? First Nat, then Tony, and then Steve. Bucky had been pushing for Sam to at least take the mantle, but that had gotten nowhere as of yet. With no real supervillainy issues after the final battle with Past Thanos, the efforts had been focused mainly on rebuilding the compound and trying to get everybody situated. He tried to distance himself from the group as much as possible, but with Pepper’s insistence, he stayed at the newly rebuilt compound with the rest of them (excluding Clint, who went back to retirement on his farm). “You’re part of the team, James.” She had said, with a kind smile on her face. 

What he had really wanted was to go back to his roots, back to Brooklyn. But a big chunk of his roots were gone, stuck, probably with somebody else, who knows? He tried not to let his thoughts get the best of him, but with Steve? Steve was always impulsive, albeit thoughtful, and he had probably thought out every move he was going to make before leaving on his so called “quick mission”. He probably had it planned, but it wouldn’t have hurt to tell a guy as you were leaving, “By the way, I’m probably never gonna see you again.” Well, it would have hurt. But it would have been better than, “You’ll be okay Buck”, and “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” Because from the way it looked, Steve wasn’t coming back. And Bucky had a long life to live, and a lot of stupid things to do. 

He was walking down what he was pretty sure was the street that their apartment building was on back in the forties, even though he knew that was a bad idea. Trudging up old memories that, while they were memories and they were good ones, only reminded him of the person that left. Not for the first time, he wondered where Steve was. Was he with Peggy, living the life he always dreamed of living? Was he healthy, did he have kids, a white picket fence, a dog, the works? Or was he stuck in the quantum realm with no way out? Bucky tried not to think about the latter. He had long since given up the idea that Steve went back and broke Bucky out of Hydra sooner, but he still let himself entertain that thought every once in a while. It was a little comforting to know that somewhere, maybe, Bucky wasn’t a former brainwashed assassin. But then he got to thinking what his past (future? Past? Who knows) self was doing in another timeline, and that was too overwhelming. 

Steve had made his choice. He had finally realized how much Bucky was to handle, he saw his out, and took it. And really, Bucky couldn’t blame him. He didn’t really want to be around himself either, most days. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts to find himself sitting on a bench outside what used to be their old building. This he knew, this felt like home. He felt someone sit down next to him. Turning to his right, he saw Sam. 

“Figured I’d find you here.” Sam said. 

“How’d you know?” Bucky asked, with no real question in his voice. Every time Bucky doubted the reality they lived in, every year on the day Steve left, Bucky would come here. It had only been two years, but it was enough. 

“Maybe because we’re friends, Barnes. Who would have thought?” Sam said. Bucky gave him points for the attempt to lighten the mood. 

“Not me, Wilson.” Bucky resisted calling him Cap. Sam didn’t want that yet. Somewhere, there was still hope within everyone that Steve would come back, and nobody would actually have to take over the mantle from him. 

“You need to stop blaming yourself.” Sam said. Bucky had heard this before. He felt his face grow red, having been caught in his downward spiral. “I’m serious, he made his choice. It’s not your fault. I know you’re trying to see that, but I think once you do, you’ll feel better.” Sam said, and wasn’t that the straw that broke the camel’s back? 

They were in the middle of the crowded, busy streets in Brooklyn, people walking by without a care in the world about these two men on a bench, and Bucky finally let loose. “No, Sam, it is my fault! You didn’t see the look on his face when he said goodbye to me. If I wasn’t so hard to handle, if I wasn’t some brainwashed assassin with a brain more fried than these goddamn fried Oreo’s we see everywhere, if I didn’t wake up shaking every night because when my eyes were closed I was back with Hydra doing their dirty work, if I wasn’t the way that I am, he might still be here! I don’t blame him for leaving, not one bit, I would have left me too Sam, and I’m so fucking tired of hearing that it’s not my fault, but in some way, some fucked up way, deep down in his heart, it very well could be. I’m trying to see that it isn’t, you’re right, but-“ he cut his rampage off when he saw Sam looking at him with wide eyes. Bucky’s left hand was on the metal rail of the bench, and he realized too late that he had imprinted it with his handprint from squeezing it too tight. 

“Bucky—“ Sam tried, but Bucky cut him off.

“If I acknowledge what you want me to acknowledge, if I really accept it, I’m accepting that he’s gone.” Bucky said softly, “and I don’t, I can’t do that.” 

Sam was quiet for a while. “Sometimes, I think it’s my fault too.” He said. Bucky quirked an eyebrow at him. “Sometimes, I think he blamed himself for dragging me into this, this whole superheroing thing. And that by going back, he could make the choice to not do that again.” 

“He chose you.” Bucky said. “He talked about you all the time, to me. I heard so much about you when I was healing, in Wakanda, and he would visit. I’m willing to bet that yeah, sometimes he did blame himself, but you got dragged into this because of me, Sam. I’m sorry you had to go through all of this.” Bucky explained. 

Sam’s face grew serious. “If I had the choice, I wouldn’t have done anything different. Yeah, Barnes, I didn’t really like you at first. But you’re alright now.” Sam joked. 

“Alright? However many years and I’m just alright? Wilson, I’m the best thing that could have ever happened to you.” Bucky said incredulously, a small smile growing on his face. 

“Seriously, Bucky. Don’t hold any of that stuff in anymore.” 

“I’ll try, Sam.”

They were both too many miles away to hear the whir of the time machine come back to life and to see Steve Rogers step out onto the platform.


	2. Steve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took way longer than i thought it would, life is crazy like that. anyways, for those who are still around after i made the one edit, here's the second chapter! 
> 
> i'm not sure how long this is gonna be in total. i have plans, but i guess we'll see where it goes 
> 
> as always feel free to leave constructive criticism! enjoy :)

After returning all of the stones, Steve walked up to his last destination. He had specifically put this one off for many reasons. He knew what to expect with the rest of them (except Red Skull on Vormir was a bit of a shock), but with this one, he had no idea what to do. What was he supposed to say first to someone who most definitely thought he was dead?

The answer, apparently, was nothing. Before Steve could knock on the door, it opened to reveal Peggy Carter in all her glory, a look in her eyes that Steve had only seen one other time, right before she shot at Steve’s shield that first time. She took a long hard look at him, and Steve knew that she recognized him, but he also knew the decade, the century, he was in. He knew that she knew that he was not supposed to be breathing and currently on her doorstep.

“Who are you?” She asked, and Steve might have been nervous before but he certainly was even more nervous now.

“I’m— Peggy, It’s me Steve, I’m who you think I am, but I’m—“

“You’re supposed to be dead.” She really wasn’t letting up.

“I know, and I’m not, and I know I’m late, but, I wanted that dance?” He tried, but even that sounded weak.

“Everyone knows that story. Who are you, and why are you here?” 

“Peggy, it’s really me. I’m just not…” Steve paused, knowing he was taking a risk, “from now.” 

Peggy paused. “Come in, Steven. We have a lot of talking to do.” 

So Steve told her everything he could within reason. How she founded S.H.I.E.L.D., how he woke up in a different century with nothing familiar around him. He told her how Bucky was kidnapped by HYDRA and brainwashed for seventy years, and how he almost had to kill his best friend. He even told her about the Accords, and both of the battles with Thanos. 

“I’m back here, in this time, and everything feels so right. Is it selfish for me to want to stay?” He asked quietly.

“It’s not selfish, but you have to realize, I have this life for myself Steve. And you have yours back where you’re from. You need to be happy.” She said gently. 

_I could be happy with you._ Steve thought. He turned his head to look at the pictures on the wall. He spotted one, of Peggy and Daniel on their wedding day. He had never considered the idea that she moved on, and that maybe he wouldn’t have been happy with her. So, after gentle prodding, she told him about her life. She told him about Daniel, her kids, and the life she created for herself. And as she was speaking, Steve knew that he shouldn’t have shown up. After seeing her while trying to find one of the stones, he realized that he had a one-track mind. But he needed to get back home.

“I’m sorry, Peg. I shouldn’t be here.” He said. He made to get up to leave, and a piece of paper fell out of his pocket. Peggy followed him to the door.

“You did what you thought was right. I could never be mad at you for that. Promise me one thing, Steve.” She said. 

“Anything.” Steve said earnestly. 

“Tell him how you feel, now that you have him again.” She said, and Steve felt the emotions that he tried to hold back come right back up his throat. “Promise me.” She said. 

“I’ll try… I will. I will.” Steve said, opening the door before he had the idea to stay. 

“Take this. Go. I’ll do my best to get you out of the ice and then we can break Bucky out of HYDRA. Good luck, Steve. You’ll be okay without me.” Peggy said, giving Steve the paper that Steve didn’t even realize she had, or how and when she got it. He felt a little bit of relaxation at the fact that the information he technically shouldn’t have dealt out would be put to good use. He took one last look at what he could have had, and shut the door behind him. He snuck around to the back of Peggy’s house so that nobody would see a man disappear in the middle of the day.

When he was about to go back, Steve opened the paper that Peggy placed into his hand. It read: 

_Dear Steve, _

_ I thought I’d try and give you this, slip it in somewhere in your uniformbefore you left. Maybe you see it, maybe you don’t. I’m not foolish enough not to know that it might get lost in some quantum realm somewhere. I’m trying my best to stay positive about you going back to return the Stones. I know you’re going back to Peggy, or at least deep down you want to. And you deserve that. You deserve to take a break, you’ve been trying to save this godforsaken world for too long. You saved me, and so many others, but I’m starting to think maybe you forgot about yourself. Save yourself, Steve. Even if it means me losing you, save yourself. Think, for a moment, what’s something you really want for yourself? Take everybody else’s demands of you out of the equation. Where will you be, and when? Whatever the answer is, do it, go there, be there. You deserve a break. And I promise you, I’ll be okay, no matter what you decide to do. All I’ve ever wanted is to see you happy, and as for whether or not that’s with me? Shit, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you and want you with me more than anything. Think I always have. Even back during the war, it was you. But all that aside, I want to see you happy. If that’s back with Peggy, you deserve that, and really, so does she. If that’s with me… I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Steve. In case this is it, in case I never see you again: Thank you for sticking by me at my worst moments, and above all, thank you for never giving up on me. That bridge fight coulda gone a hell of a lot different. So thank you for fighting for me, and for really, everything you’ve ever done. I’m really never gonna forget you Stevie, and I never could. If Hydra can’t take your memory from me, nothing else can. No matter where you are, when you are, who you’re with…I’m with you ’til the end of the line, pal. _

<strike> _Your friend,_ </strike>

_ Love,_

_ Bucky_

Bucky was really ready to give it all up for him. With shaking hands, Steve folded the piece of paper up into his hand. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, (when had he started crying?) and pulled the last remaining Pym particles from their spot. He tapped the watch, and noticed he’d been gone almost a full week, his time.How much would that have been for Bucky? How long would Bucky have had to go without him? Would he still be willing to even see Steve? As the particles fired up, Steve had a brief thought of chickening out, and staying where he thought he belonged.

But then he thought of everything he had waiting for him back home. In a flash, he was gone, and in another flash, he stood on the platform in the backyard of a lake house in the middle of the woods. 


	3. Morgan Stark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we meet Morgan!
> 
> i realized there are some things I need to clear up in this storyline, so i'm gonna try and do that within the next few chapters. 
> 
> two updates in a week? who is she?
> 
> as always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! enjoy! :)

Morgan Stark was six years old, not stupid. So when she saw a man standing outside of her house that looked very similar to the man who showed up in that nice car with someone named Nat, and then asked her dad to figure out some complicated time travel algorithm that ended up being his last piece of work, it was safe to say she watched through the kitchen window with mixed emotions.Hopping up on the counter to watch him, she watched as the man looked around the yard, probably as confused as she felt. If it really was him, she was told that this man had left two years ago. They had left the platform up in case something unexpected happen, but she realized that this was the unexpected. They probably didn’t expect this man to come back. She thinks his name is Steve? Her dad never really talked about him until he showed up to their house. 

She doesn’t think they got along well. Steve seemed scary when he showed up to the house. But right now Steve was also alone, and looking very upset, maybe he was looking for someone, some people maybe? What was he even doing here? Steve had just seen her watching him. He made wide eyes at her like he couldn’t believe she was still here, and he started to walk over towards her. She hopped off of the kitchen counter and ducked behind the farthest thing from the window. There was a knock on the window. She didn’t move. If it really was Steve, she didn’t want to talk to him. She’d let her mom handle that. There was another knock. 

“Morgan? I thought you were—why are you on the ground?” Pepper asked, walking into the kitchen. There was another knock, faster this time. Pepper looked up from Morgan, who was sitting behind the island in the kitchen, trying to make herself as small as possible. “Holy… Steve?” Pepper asked. Morgan couldn’t see the man, but Pepper went running to talk to Steve in the backyard, probably making sure it was him and not some creepy imposter guy. Morgan stood up from her spot and peeked out theopen door, trying to listen to the conversation. 

“We all thought you left, Steve.” Her mom sounded disappointed, probably for good reason.

“I know.” Steve looked like a kicked puppy. Her mom had that ability to make people look like that. It was funny to see her look at congressmen like that and them have the same reaction that Steve had. 

“You really don’t know how long it’s been?” She said, but softer this time.

“No, I really don’t. How long has it been?” He sounded extremely upset, whereas her mom was talking with similar tones as she did when she used to lovingly scold her dad for being up too late working on science things. She suddenly wanted to be the one to tell him how long it had been. She loudly walked down the wooden steps and got both Steve and Pepper’s attention. She hid behind her mom’s leg, still shy, and looked up at Steve. 

“Morgan?” Steve looked at her with wider eyes than before, “You’re… how old are you now?”

“I’m six.” She said quietly, but that didn’t seem to matter. Steve seemed to hear her clear as day. 

“You were four when— it’s been two years?” Steve ran his hand through his hair, which had gotten really long if he really hasn’t been here for two years.

Morgan didn’t quite know where he had gone, and didn’t want to know, but apparently it was some important mission with colored rocks. Can’t blame her for not knowing. Her dad was gone, and she couldn’t (and still can’t at times) focus on anything else.

“I was only gone for a week, for me. That was two years for you? Bruce said it should have taken 5 seconds for you guys, what happened?” 

Morgan didn’t know who this Bruce guy was. She thought back to the last day she had seen all of her dad’s friends, the same day that Steve disappeared into thin air. Was it the nice black man with a cool jacket standing next to the man with the long hair and the metal arm, or was it the green guy with the glasses? 

“I don’t know what happened. The best we can do is try to contact Bruce and see if he can come down to meet with us, which might be hard to do. I don’t think anyone is going to really believe that you’re back, Steve.” Pepper said, with a sympathetic smile on her face.

“Anyone? What about Bucky? And Sam?” Steve asked softly, a blush covering his face. 

“I haven’t heard much from either of them since you left. They occasionally check in, but I really don’t think either of them are going to believe you’re back. Bucky was… he was really distraught about you not coming back.” Pepper said. 

Morgan couldn’t pinpoint exactly what Steve felt, but the look on his face made her feel sad. This looked like a heartbroken man. 

“Do you know where he—where they are?” Steve asked. Morgan was six, but she knew what this was. Steve was in love. 

“They went back to the compound to rebuild after you left. I think Bucky moved to Brooklyn.” Pepper said, “They’re still around helping rebuild, and train whoever’s left, but there haven’t been any world ending dangers since Thanos. Without Captain America, the world has been pretty quiet.” She explained.

Steve flinched a little at the title. “So what do we do now?” He asked. 

“Now, I think we call Bruce, keep this under wraps as much as possible, until we figure out what happened.” Pepper said. 

“What about—“

“We’ll get you back to the compound as soon as we can Steve. We need to figure out what happened to you, why it happened, and if you’re physically okay.” Pepper said, and Morgan has seen her mom on a mission before, and this was her mom on a mission. 

“I’m fine, Pepper. I still have the serum, anything that happened to me healed already.” Steve argued, not unkindly, but he seemed to be in a rush. 

“Steve. It’s been two years almost to the day that you’ve been gone. Missing, without a trace. We need to call Bruce, figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, and see if the time travel had any effects on your body. Only then will you go back to Brooklyn. I’m not putting anybody else in harms way. Enough has been lost in this fight.” Pepper said, and Steve got that kicked puppy look again. 

“How are you guys doing? After… everything.” Steve said. 

“We’re managing. Let’s go inside, we need to figure this out as soon as possible.” She said. They all turned around and walked inside, and Morgan felt a tap on her shoulder. 

She stopped and turned around to see Steve looking at her. “Hi Morgan. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Steve. I’m sorry for what happened to Ton—your dad. Are you doing okay?” 

Morgan nodded. “I’m still sad, but I’m okay. Thank you for helping make it right.” 

“I—I’d do anything to bring him back. I tried.” 

“You did?” 

“Yeah, I did.” 

“Why didn’t it work?” She felt herself getting upset. 

“It wasn’t the right Stone. It doesn’t make sense to me either.” Steve explained. 

“Oh. Thank you for trying.” She said. 

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Steve said. 

Steve didn’t seem like too bad of a person. Maybe he’d come around more. 

“Alright. Are we ready to call Bruce?” Pepper said, walking into the room. 

Morgan took that as her cue to leave. Pepper kissed her forehead as she left. She felt a sense of calm. Maybe things would be right again, now that Captain America was back. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! It's been like five months since i've updated this, and honestly, life happened, and then the world happened. I'm sorry for being gone so long, if anyone's still following this, I hope you like this chapter. 
> 
> Black Lives Matter, always. Sign petitions, donate and protest if you can. 
> 
> Wear a mask. Be nice to people.
> 
> Enjoy this chapter :)

Needless to say, Pepper was not expecting to see Steve Rogers standing outside her house years after he failed to return from his mission to return all of the Infinity Stones. She supposed he didn’t technically fail to return, since he _is_ currently standing inside her house, looking rather uncomfortable to say the least.

But she plays it cool, like she’s done for so many years when things surprise her, and gets to work on their next move. Getting in touch with Bruce has been difficult over the past few years, but she was determined. He was, aside from Tony, the only person she knew who could try and figure out why all this is happening now, two years late. Why a one week long trip for Steve didn’t take the five seconds they were so sure it would. She looked over at Steve as they sat on the barstools at the island in the kitchen, and she saw him looking around at the house. It surely hadn’t changed that much since the last time he saw it, but she supposed he was taking in the fact that it had been two years since he left on his mission, almost to the day.

Distantly, she wondered if she should call Bucky or Sam first. Let them know that Steve had returned, and assure them that he was okay. However, she figured that might end up in a bigger fight than she wanted to witness. She figured she should bring him back into this year slower than SHIELD had back in 2012. Steve had already slept through 70 years, woke up only to immediately constantly fight threats he probably didn’t know existed, spent the last 5 trying to rebuild a world people thought he destroyed, and then missed the last two by total fluke. It would make sense that he would be as exhausted as he looks in this moment. Unfortunately, he might only have this time to breathe before getting thrown back into the swing of things.

Surprisingly, the video call connected to Bruce after only a few attempts.

“Hey, Pepper. What can I do for you?” Bruce asked, and sometimes it still blew Pepper’s mind that Bruce and the Hulk are now roughly the same person.

“Are you at all, a little bit busy right now?” Pepper asked, and she saw Steve make to say something before realizing that probably wasn’t the best idea yet.

“I have a class in a few minutes, why?” Bruce asked, clearly growing wary of the situation.

“I need you to cancel it. Say something came up and you can’t get out of it. I’m sure it’ll be fine, but something really has come up and we need your help.”

“We? Who’s we? I mean, I can cancel the class, yes, I’ll do that right now, but what’s going on?” Bruce started typing on his computer, sending the email out to his lecture that he had to cancel. Pepper waited until he sent the email and looked back at the screen to drop the news. She knew he kept his office door closed unless he was holding office hours. He took a sip of coffee from his mug which looked small, but was a normal sized mug, and that’s how Pepper knew he was ready.

Steve looked like he wanted to run over and look at his friend on the other side of the screen. Pepper nodded for him to come over, and Steve got out of his chair and stood behind Pepper on the screen. “Hi, Bruce.” He said shyly.

Bruce nearly choked on his coffee. “Cap?” Again, Steve flinched at the mantle, and Pepper, for personal reasons, had to find out what was up with that, because _Steve Rogers never really flinched at being called Cap unless it was in the form of a snarky comment from To—nevermind. _“You’re… what? How? When? Hang on, do I need to come over there? All of the machine stuff is there. Is Nat with you?”

Steve’s face fell, and so did Pepper’s heart when she saw that, “No, she’s not with me either. I tried to bring her back, but the Soul Stone on Vormir didn’t work like we thought it would. I’m here, though. Has it really been two years since I left?”

Bruce nodded, “It has. We really missed you, and honestly, I’m so glad you’re back—I can be over there tomorrow if you need me to be?” He started speaking to Pepper about logistics and how it should have gone, which gave Steve the ability to just listen to the science he didn’t realize he so dearly missed. “Do Sam and Bucky know this yet?” Bruce asked, and just like that, Steve’s head snapped up. Because that was not a conversation he was ready to have. He needed answers before he even thought about talking to Bucky and Sam. He didn’t even want to think about how he definitely hurt both of them by not coming back right away, like most everybody was convinced he would.

He sometimes forgot it was his original intention to stay with Peggy, and try to live a normal life. Whatever that meant.

“They don’t know yet. We, I, really, wanted to call you first to see if you had any idea why a week for Steve took two years instead of five seconds like it should have.” Pepper explained.

Bruce winced a little. “You should call them next. I think for me to figure out anything I need to come up there so I can look at the machine again. It’s… been a while since I’ve looked at any of that.” He said regretfully.

“It’s okay, Bruce.” Steve said. He was getting the feeling that after a few days here, nobody really expected him to return. Which wasn’t anyone’s fault but his own, his goodbye was kind of stunted, looking back. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, Steve, what happened with Nat?” Bruce asked.

Steve felt his chest tighten at the mention of their friend, but he took a deep breath and retold the story.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_When Steve arrived on yet another planet in another part of the galaxy, he figured he should stop being so surprised at how many forms of life exist. He took the empty container of Pym particles out of his suit and looked around, up, rather, and began the trek up the mountain that seemed to be where the Soul stone was drawing him to._

_ When he arrived at the clearing on top of the mountain, he didn’t see anyone at first. No place to put the stone, no person or other life form asking for the stone back. Then, from behind him, he heard the voice of someone he’d rather forget forever._

_ “Steven Rogers, son of Sarah. Long ago I thought you were under ice. You have brought me something?”_

_ Steve whirled around to see Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull himself, float? towards him, and his heartbeat immediately kicked up a few notches. This was not somebody he wanted to fight._

_ “Schmidt.” He said, and waited for more to come to him, but nothing did. Didn’t this guy die, like, 80 years ago? _Close to when I put the plane in the ice_, Steve thought. “I have the Soul Stone.”_

_ “In exchange for the Stone, you must give up that which you love.” Schmidt recited, in almost a monotone, and for a brief moment Steve wondered how many times he’s had to say that. Then he realized what was said._

_ “Give up? I’m the one giving the Stone back to you. Shouldn’t you give me someone we lost in exchange for the Stone?” Steve then realized he’d have to choose between Natasha and Tony. He didn’t want to choose, he wanted both of them back._

_ “I suppose in a fair universe, that would make sense. The only one I would be able to return is Natasha Romanoff, however, since Clint took the Stone and yet is not the one to bring me the Stone, I cannot return her soul.”_

_ Steve faltered. “So I have to lose the Stone, and lose something I love?” He said incredulously. That made about as much sense as Schmidt being on Vormir in the first place._

_ “Precisely.”_

_ Steve looked down at the canyon below him and saw blood on the rocks below him. _Probably Natasha’s, _he thought, and the thought made him want to throw up and cry at the same time._

_ He seemed to be the only available sacrifice. If this is how he was going to go, he should have returned all the Stones first before coming here._

_ “It will not be yourself, Steven. I can tell that much about you.” Schmidt said, and _ouch, okay. _At the very least, he could return the last of the stones and make his way to Peggy’s._

_ He made to touch the Stone to give it back to Schmidt, but he remembered at the last second the power the Stones hold. He looked at the canyon below him, and god, he might be a super soldier, but that was gonna hurt him if he landed wrong._

_ “Can I give up the serum?” He asked._

_ “You must live. Giving up the serum would kill you once you hit the ground. Something else.”_

_ What else did Steve have with him that he could sacrifice without it being himself? “What about the Captain America mantle? And shield? I’ll give it to somebody else back on Earth, someone more deserving.” He thought of Sam, he knew Bucky wouldn’t want it. Sam would do well with it. He’d give it to Sam._

_ “That will do. I was surprised to see you, Steven, although not really.”_

I’d rather not see you again, _Steve thought. He looked down at the ledge, and looked back at Schmidt. “This is the only way out?”_

_ Schmidt nodded. Steve took a deep breath, and jumped, bracing himself for the impact of the stones._

_ He landed on water._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

“That’s… God, that’s awful, Steve. I’m sorry about calling you Cap earlier. Do you have the shield still?” Bruce asked him. 

“It’s okay, you didn’t know. Hopefully Sam is up for it still, even if it’s been two years. I set the shield outside, it felt wrong carrying it, and honestly, Sam won’t need a shield to be a great Captain America. That was just a symbol.” Steve explained.

“I hope he’s up for it, I agree he would be great for the role.” Bruce said, “I can be there tomorrow if that works for you, Pepper? I need to clear a few things up with my lectures so it doesn’t look too strange that I suddenly disappear.”

“That works for me. See you tomorrow Bruce.” Pepper said, and the call disconnected.

It was quiet for a few moments so that both Steve and Pepper could process everything. Steve thought it was crazy how just a few hours ago, he said goodbye to Peggy for what really was the final time, and now he’s back in 2025, when it was 2023 when he left. He’s no stranger to skipping time, but it’s getting old. He’d like to be in in the same time period for more time than it takes him to adjust to it in the first place.

“What would you like to do now, Steve?” Pepper asked.

“Could we call Sam and Bucky?” Steve was starting to buzz with adrenaline. Bucky had gone too long not having an answer to a letter Steve didn’t know he had. “Maybe not on a video, yet?”

Pepper nodded and pulled her phone out. “I’m going to call Sam first, and maybe they’ll be together.”

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Sam honestly wasn’t doing much, after finding Bucky on the bench he felt like he needed to make sure he was okay. While Bucky was doing better, this day especially has been hard on him, and everyone really. Sam supposed a literal lifetime of friendship and pure devotion being ripped from you with a less than five minute goodbye would do that to a person.

While he wasn’t doing much, the last thing he expected to get today was a phone call from Pepper when he had just left Bucky’s apartment. “This is Sam, I can be ready whenever.” He said.

Pepper laughed softly on the other end of the phone, “I appreciate the eagerness, but I’m calling for another reason. Is Bucky with you?” She asked.

Sam stopped dead in his tracks. “I just left his apartment, why?”

“Oh, okay.” Sam heard her say something to someone else on the phone, and was that? Was it who he thought? He slowly turned around and started the walk back to Bucky’s apartment.

“Pepper, what’s going on?” He asked.

“Steve’s back.” Sam stopped dead in his tracks for the second time in two minutes.

“No way. What? How?”

“We don’t know. But he showed up earlier today and, honestly, Sam, I think he thought we’d all still be there waiting. It took a week for him, but two years for us. And we don’t know why.” She explained.

Sam was back at Bucky’s apartment and made his way to Bucky’s front door, before it swung open.

“Can always tell when you’re coming up, Wilson.” Bucky said, before he looked at Sam’s face and his entire demeanor changed. “What’s going on, you look spooked.”

“Steve’s back.” Sam said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so bucky knows nowwww! it's gonna get spicy, be prepared for angst :))


End file.
